AP Photo/Evan Vucci/newsfileWASHINGTON, D.C.-A former top adviser to President Donald Trump’s election campaign has formally pleaded guilty to federal conspiracy and false statements charges in the special counsel’s Russia investigation. The plea by Rick Gates is a strong indication that he is planning to cooperate with special counsel Robert Mueller’s investigation as it continues to probe the Trump campaign, Russian…
WASHINGTON (AP) — Payday lenders got regulators to rethink rules on how closely to vet borrowers. E-cigarette makers got a delay in federal oversight of many vaping products. Candy makers praised a decision to hold off on more stringent labeling standards. And title insurers declared “victory” for getting changes that benefited them in the tax overhaul. What do all these…
President Donald Trump, looks to Julia Cordover, the student body president at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in Parkland, Fla., as she speaks during the listening session with high school students, teachers, and others in the State Dining Room of the White House in Washington, Wednesday, Feb. 21, 2018. (AP Photo/Carolyn Kaster)WASHINGTON (AP) – Democrats are voicing outrage over comments…
TALLAHASSEE, Fla. (AP) — Thousands of chanting students, including survivors of the Florida school shooting, rallied at the state Capitol on Wednesday, demanding changes to gun laws and threatening to remove Republicans who refuse to address new gun-control measures. A week after the massacre that killed 17 people, the students took their message into the gun-friendly halls of power in…
MONTREAT, N.C.-The Rev. Billy Graham, counselor to presidents and the most widely heard Christian evangelist in history, has died at age 99. Spokesman Mark DeMoss tell The Associated Press that Graham died Wednesday morning at his home in Montreat, North Carolina. He had been treated in recent years for cancer, pneumonia and other ailments. His wife, Ruth, died in 2007….
MOSCOW (AP) – A Clinton-Obama sex tape using body doubles. A Facebook page promoting Texas independence riddled with grammatical mistakes. The U.S. indictment centered on a Russian internet “troll farm” only scratches the surface of the agency that allegedly produced content to sway the presidential election – and glosses over how unconvincing some of its stunts could be. Although it…
Alex van der Zwaan, second from left, arrives at Federal District Court in Washington, Tuesday, Feb. 20, 2018. Van der Zwaan has been accused of lying to investigators about his interactions with Rick Gates, who was indicted last year along with Paul Manafort, President Donald Trump’s campaign chairman, on charges of conspiracy to launder money and acting as an unregistered…
People stand along Reforma Avenue after a 7.2-magnitude earthquake shook Mexico City, Friday, Feb. 16, 2018. A powerful earthquake has shaken south and central Mexico, causing people to flee buildings and office towers in the country’s capital, and setting off quake alert systems. (AP Photo/Marco Ugarte)MEXICO CITY (AP) — A powerful magnitude-7.2 earthquake shook south and central Mexico Friday, causing…
WASHINGTON-The Commerce Department is saying that imported aluminum and steel threaten U.S. national security and is urging President Donald Trump to impose tariffs or quotas to boost American production. The recommendations unveiled by Secretary Wilbur Ross are likely to escalate tensions with China and other U.S. trading partners. Stepped-up production of steel and aluminum, especially by China, has driven down…
(Photo: FOX NEWS)UPDATE: The FBI says it failed to investigate a specific report in January that Nikolas Cruz could be plotting a school shooting. The agency said Friday that the tip should’ve been investigated thoroughly because it was a potential threat to life. Cruz has been arrested and charged with killing 17 people at a high school earlier this week….
Steve Bannon, President Donald Trump’s former chief strategist, arrives for questioning by the House Intelligence Committee as part of its ongoing investigation into meddling in the U.S. elections by Russia, at the Capitol in Washington, Thursday, Feb. 15, 2018. (AP Photo/J. Scott Applewhite) WASHINGTON (AP) — Steve Bannon, the combative former chief strategist for President Donald Trump, was interrogated for…
PARKLAND, Fla. (AP) — Months before authorities say Nikolas Cruz walked into his former high school and slaughtered 17 people, the troubled teen began showing what may have been warning signs he was bent on violence. “I’m going to be a professional school shooter,” a YouTube user with the screen name “Nikolas Cruz” posted in September. The 19-year-old had gotten…
PARKLAND, Fla.-A law enforcement official says the former student suspected of killing at least 17 people at a Florida high school posted “very, very disturbing” material on social media before the deadly shooting rampage. Broward County Sheriff Scott Israel said the suspect, 19-year-old Nikolas Cruz, had been expelled from Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School for unspecified disciplinary reasons. Israel says…
UPDATE: Police are now reporting 17 fatalities in this shooting incident. PARKLAND, Fla.-A school official says there are numerous fatalities from the high school shooting in South Florida. Broward County Superintendent Robert Runcie says “There are numerous fatalities. It is a horrific situation.” He added, “It is a horrible day for us.” The tweet added: “Victims have been and continue…
NEW ORLEANS (AP) — Tens of thousands of revelers descended on New Orleans streets for parades and rowdy fun as Mardi Gras capped the Carnival season in a city with a celebration of its own, its 300th anniversary. The anniversary of this Louisiana port city will feature prominently in Fat Tuesday’s festivities. Rex, New Orleans’ oldest parading Carnival group, is…
TRAVERSE CITY, Mich.-President Donald Trump again is trying to drastically reduce or eliminate federal support for cleanups of some iconic U.S. waterways. His proposed budget would slash Environmental Protection Agency funding for Great Lakes and Chesapeake Bay restoration programs by 90 percent. It would kill all EPA spending on programs supporting other waters including San Francisco Bay, the Gulf of…
NEW YORK (AP) — Donald Trump Jr.’s wife was taken to a New York City hospital as a precaution Monday after she opened an envelope addressed to her husband that contained an unidentified white powder, police said. A preliminary test indicated the substance wasn’t dangerous, police said. Vanessa Trump, 40, opened the letter addressed to the president’s son Monday morning…
CHICAGO- Chicago officials say about 6 to 7 inches of snow has fallen on the city and they’re gearing up for three more waves through the weekend. Mayor Rahm Emanuel said at a Friday morning news conference that the city, its workers and residents are up to it. He says “we’re tried and tested here.” City officials say they’re expecting…
WASHINGTON – U.S. Congressman Rick Nolan has announced he will be retiring at the end of his term. Rep. Nolan made the announcement through a letter to the press Friday morning. Nolan has represented Minnesota’s 8th Congressional District since 2013. Previously, he represented Minnesota’s 6th Congressional District from 1975-1981. Rep. Nolan’s letter: “To the great people of Minnesota’s 8th District…
(AP Photo/Evan Vucci) WASHINGTON (AP) — President Donald Trump on Friday signed a $400 billion budget deal that sharply boosts spending and swells the federal deficit, ending a brief federal government shutdown that happened while most Americans were sleeping and most government offices were closed, anyway. The House and Senate approved a bill to keep the government funded through March…
CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. (AP) — SpaceX’s big new rocket blasted off Tuesday on its first test flight, carrying a red sports car aiming for an endless road trip past Mars. The Falcon Heavy rose from the same launch pad used by NASA nearly 50 years ago to send men to the moon. With liftoff, the Heavy became the most powerful…
LONDON (AP) — A British judge on Tuesday upheld a U.K. arrest warrant for WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange, leaving him still a wanted man in the country where he has spent more than five years inside the Ecuadorean Embassy. Assange, 46, has been holed up in Ecuador’s embassy in London since he took refuge there in June 2012 to avoid…
Photo Courtesy: APTAIPEI, Taiwan (AP) — A magnitude-6.4 earthquake struck Tuesday near the coast of Taiwan, killing two hotel employees and injuring 144 other people, officials said. The Central News Agency reported that the ground floor of the Marshal Hotel, a building in Hualien district, had caved in and people were believed to be trapped inside. Taiwanese media reported that…
UPDATE: The Dow Jones industrial average plunged as much as 1,500 points, erasing its gain for the year, as the market extends a slump that began Friday. The Dow’s point loss would be its biggest of all time, though in percentage terms, its 5.6 percent decline wasn’t as big as its worst drop during the financial crisis. The slide Monday…
FARGO, N.D.-A North Dakota woman who admitted killing a pregnant neighbor and cutting the baby from the womb while the mother was still alive has been sentenced to life in prison without the possibility of parole. Brooke Crews pleaded guilty in December to conspiracy to commit kidnapping, conspiracy to commit murder and lying to law officers in the August death…
WASHINGTON, D.C.-The White House says it has declassified a GOP-authored memo on the Russia probe. That clears the way for the House Intelligence Committee to release the document, which is based on classified information and alleges the FBI abused U.S. government surveillance powers in its investigation into Russian election interference. Principal Deputy Press Secretary Raj Shah says President Donald Trump…
Photo: Damian DovarganesLOS ANGELES (AP) — Two students were shot and wounded, one critically, inside a Los Angeles middle school classroom Thursday morning and police arrested a female student believed to be 12 years old, authorities said. A 15-year-old boy hit in the head was transported to a trauma center in critical but stable condition, according to fire department spokesman…
(AP Photo)WASHINGTON (AP) — President Donald Trump will clear the way for the publication of a controversial Republican-authored memo, White House officials said, despite objections from the FBI. The memo, prepared by Republicans on the House intelligence committee, is said to allege FBI misconduct in its investigation of potential ties between Russia and Trump’s 2016 campaign. Trump’s own Justice Department…
(Zack Wajsgrasu/The Daily Progress via AP)CROZET, Va.-Drivers who regularly pass over a Virginia railroad crossing where a train carrying Republican lawmakers slammed into a garbage truck say the crossing arms appeared to be malfunctioning the day before the deadly crash. Jane Rogers told The Associated Press on Thursday that she crosses the intersection almost every day. She says she got…
(Photo Courtesy: EarthCam)Minneapolis, Minn. – On Sunday, February 4, the New England Patriots and Philadelphia Eagles will face-off at U.S. Bank Stadium in Minneapolis for the biggest game of the year. EarthCam is helping football fans get excited for this epic game by sharing its broadcast-quality construction time-lapse movie for the host stadium. Showcasing 32 months of progress, viewers can…
(AP Photo/Steven Senne) BOSTON (AP) — That ordinary bottle of juice delivered to your doorstep will set you back at least $55. But the bag of marijuana that comes with it? On the house. Retail marijuana stores are months away from opening in Massachusetts, but some companies have been quietly operating for more than a year, selling and delivering marijuana…
WASHINGTON (AP) — The AP is fact-checking prepared remarks from President Donald Trump’s State of the Union speech. Here’s a look at some of the claims we’ve examined: ISLAMIC STATE TRUMP: “Last year I pledged that we would work with our allies to extinguish ISIS from the face of the earth. One year later, I’m proud to report that the…
(AP Photo)(AP) – Three of corporate America’s heaviest hitters — Amazon, Warren Buffett and JPMorgan Chase — sent a shudder through the health industry Tuesday when they announced plans to jointly create a company to provide their employees with high-quality, affordable care. The announcement was short on details about precisely what the independent company will do. But given the three…
LOS ANGELES (AP) — Mark Salling, who played bad-boy Noah “Puck” Puckerman in the hit musical-comedy “Glee,” died of an apparent suicide Tuesday, weeks after pleading guilty to possessing child pornography. He was 35. Salling pleaded guilty in December after authorities said a search of his computer and a thumb drive found more than 50,000 images of child porn. He…
In this Aug. 28, 2007, file photo, the moon takes on different orange tones during a lunar eclipse seen from Mexico City. (AP Photo/Marco Ugarte, File) CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. (AP) — The moon is providing a rare triple treat this week. On Wednesday, much of the world will get to see not only a blue moon and a super moon,…
WASHINGTON (AP) — A by-the-numbers look at President Donald Trump’s first year in office reveals areas of both progress and peril. The stock market is soaring, smashing record after record. The unemployment rate has ticked downward. Some categories of violent crime are down, too. But more U.S. troops are stationed in war zones. More people are dying of drug overdoses….
The banks of river Seine are flooded in Paris, France, Monday, Jan. 29, 2018. Floodwaters have reached a peak in Paris and are now threatening towns downstream along the rain-engorged Seine River. (AP Photo/Michel Euler) PARIS (AP) – Floodwaters have reached a peak in Paris and are now threatening towns downstream along the rain-filled Seine River. The French national flood…
CONCORD, N.H.-Truckloads of road salt used to keep highways ice-free in the winter are starting to take a toll on the environment. Researchers say they’re finding rising salt levels in hundreds of lakes, especially in the Northeast and Midwest where sodium chloride is used most. The findings are raising fears that salting roads could put everything from microscopic zooplankton to…
WASHINGTON (AP) – The White House says President Donald Trump is proposing to provide a path to citizenship for 1.8 million so-called “Dreamers,” younger immigrants living in the U.S. illegally. The plan is likely to get a mixed reaction on Capitol Hill. Senior White House officials are offering a preview of Trump’s immigration framework, casting it as a compromise that…
LANSING, Mich.-A seven-day hearing for a Michigan sports doctor ended with tears, hugs and applause after he was sentenced to 40 to 175 years in prison for molestation allegations. Kyle Stephens grew up as a friend of Larry Nassar’s family and was the first victim to testify in court last year. She was glad to attend the sentencing and called…
ANCHORAGE, Alaska (AP) — A powerful undersea earthquake sent Alaskans fumbling for suitcases and racing to evacuation centers in the middle of the night after a cellphone alert warned a tsunami could hit communities along the state’s southern coast and parts of British Columbia. The monster waves never materialized, but people who fled endured hours of tense waiting at shelters…
BENTON, Ky. (AP) – Gov. Matt Bevin says two people have been killed and 19 injured in a shooting at a high school in southwest Kentucky. Of the 19 injured, Bevin says 14 of those were gunshot wounds. Bevin also said the suspect in the Tuesday morning shooting at Marshall County High School is a 15-year-old male student who will…
AP Photo/J. Scott ApplewhiteWASHINGTON (AP) – Congress has approved a bipartisan agreement to re-open the federal government after a three-day partial shutdown. The House approved the bill, 266-150, hours after the Senate backed it, 81-18. President Donald Trump is expected to quickly sign the measure to fund government operations through Feb. 8. The votes set the stage for hundreds of…
RIVERSIDE, Calif. (AP) — A California couple tortured a dozen of their children for years, starving them to the point that their growth was stunted, chaining them to their beds for up to months, preventing them from using the toilet at times and forbidding them from showering more than once a year, a prosecutor said Thursday. Frederic J. Brown/Pool Photo…
AP Photo/Andrew HarnikWashington (AP) – A divided House voted to prevent a government shutdown after an eleventh-hour deal brought conservatives aboard. But the GOP-written measure faces gloomy prospects in the Senate, and it remains unclear whether lawmakers will be able to find a way to keep federal offices open past a Friday night deadline. The House voted by a near…
Democratic lawmakers were joined by so-called ‘Dreamers’ as they spoke to reporters outside the U.S. Capitol. (Jan. 10)WASHINGTON (AP) — A group of bipartisan senators has reached a deal on legislation to protect younger immigrants brought to the country illegally, a spokesman for Sen. Jeff Flake said Thursday. The group including the Arizona Republican, top Senate Democrat Dick Durbin and…
WASHINGTON (AP) — Former White House chief strategist Steve Bannon is stepping down as chairman of Breitbart News Network after a public break with President Donald Trump. Breitbart announced Tuesday that Bannon would step down as executive chairman of the conservative news site, less than a week after Bannon’s explosive criticisms of Trump and his family were published in a…
(AP Photo/Evan Vucci) WASHINGTON (AP) — Seeking a bipartisan compromise to avoid a government shutdown, President Donald Trump suggested Tuesday that an immigration deal could be reached in two phases — first by addressing young immigrants and border security with what he called a “bill of love,” then by making comprehensive changes that have long eluded Congress. Trump held a…
Paul Drinkwater NBC via AP DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) — Oprah Winfrey’s impassioned call for “a brighter morning even in our darkest nights” at the Golden Globes has Democratic Party activists buzzing about the media superstar and the 2020 presidential race — even if it’s only a fantasy. Even so, for Democrats in early voting states, and perhaps for a…
PASADENA, Calif. (AP) — FX Networks CEO John Landgraf says an investigation into sexual misconduct by Louis C.K. found nothing involving his work for the company over the past eight years. The investigation followed a published report of misbehavior, Landgraf told TV critics Friday. The network cut ties in November with C.K. after he admitted wrongdoing. After the comedian was…
